Maine Democrats face July 27 deadline to name replacement nominee
Graham Platner, a 41-year-old Marine combat veteran and oyster farmer, announced his departure from the race in a video posted Wednesday night, saying he would file paperwork to officially withdraw and give the party the ability to place a new name on the ballot. In the video, Platner continued to deny the allegations against him and accused the media and political establishment of acting as “judge, jury and executioner.”
The decision came days after Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident who had been romantically involved with Platner, publicly alleged that he sexually assaulted her about five years ago. According to a report by Politico, Racicot said Platner forced himself on her and had nonconsensual sex with her after she told him repeatedly to stop. According to the Wall Street Journal, she had previously said Platner did not respect women and that she had cut off contact after finding his behavior “reckless” and “unsettling.” Platner has denied the allegation.
The allegation prompted Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and other lawmakers to call for Platner to drop out, rescind their endorsements and cut off funding. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) said Tuesday that he had spoken with Platner and, “in light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.” The party’s campaign arm declined to invest further in the race while he remained on the ballot.
The Democratic State Committee of Maine announced Wednesday that it would hold a nominating convention to select a replacement nominee, but did not provide details on delegate selection or the vote threshold required. The deadline to put a new name on the ballot is July 27.
Potential replacement candidates include former state Senate President Troy Jackson, state Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and onetime state health director Nirav Shah, all of whom competed in the recent Democratic primary for governor but lost to former state House Speaker Hannah Pingree. Another possible candidate is Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban.
Platner’s rise in the race had been fueled by a populist economic message that both parties had betrayed Maine’s workers by favoring corporations and the wealthy. He easily won the Democratic nomination in June, pushing aside Gov. Janet Mills, who had been the party’s preferred candidate. His campaign drew scrutiny over several issues, including old Reddit posts with problematic comments, a covered-up tattoo linked to Nazi imagery, and an admission that he sent sexually explicit texts to women while married.
The executive director of the Maine Democratic Party accused Platner ahead of his announcement of trying to influence the selection of his successor. A Platner campaign official disputed that account but confirmed the campaign had reached out to the party to understand the process.
Platner’s campaign reported $2.2 million in cash on hand as of May 20, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Federal rules allow the campaign to contribute unlimited amounts of its remaining funds to the Democratic Party and limited amounts to other candidates. The campaign raised $16.3 million during the election cycle.
If Democrats fail to hold the Maine seat, their path to winning a Senate majority narrows significantly. They would need to win several states that normally lean Republican, such as Texas, Ohio, and Iowa.